Elvis Tributes: The List
AX...@psuvm.psu.edu
waiting for. Although my original posting requested only Elvis tribute songs,
I've expanded the scope a bit to include Elvis parodies (it's often difficult
to determine what's intended to memorialize Elvis and what's intended to poke
fun at him--and, hey, isn't humor the sincerest form of flattery, or something
like that?), songs that mention Elvis in passing, unusual or notable covers of
his songs, and works by groups with Elvis-related names (e.g., Velvet Elvis).
Of special note is one recent CD, _A Tribute to Elvis_ (K-tel 60202), which
contains a dozen different tribute songs. I've listed the twelve songs by
individual artist below. Another noteworthy compilation is _The Last
Temptation of Elvis_, a collection of twenty-five songs from Elvis' movies
performed by artists ranging from Bruce Springsteen to the Jesus and Mary Chain
to Elvis himself. See the complete list of artists and songs under the album
name below.
Judging by the responses to my posting, Mojo Nixon and Skid Roper's "Elvis Is
Everywhere" is the most well known tribute, followed by Living Colour's "Elvis
Is Dead" (if that's a tribute--I haven't heard it yet) and Marc Cohn's "Walking
in Memphis." I mentioned "Calling Elvis," by Dire Straits in my original
posting.
In compiling the list, I've used this format:
Artist. "Song Title." Album. (My comments.) [Any questionable
spellings or information?]
Some entries simply list relevant albums or CDs, while others list song titles
and lack the album names. If you can supply missing information, correct
spellings, provide additional entries, or otherwise contribute, please e-mail
me. Thanks again to the readers of alt.rock-n-roll, bit.listserv.allmusic,
rec.music.dementia, rec.music.folk, rec.music.misc, and all who sent or posted
material for this list. (See the acknowledgements at the end of this posting.)
BTW, did anyone catch Vin Scelsa's extravaganza of Elvis trbiutes that
supposedly aired for six hours on radio station WXRK-FM in New York City Monday
(yesterday)?
Alan E. Mays, Elvisologist
AX...@psuvm.psu.edu
Elvis Tributes, Cool Covers, and Other Related Stuff
Adrenalin A.O.D. "Velvet Elvis." Flomungus Fungus Among Us.
Mike Albert. "I'll Do the King for You." If.
Laurie Anderson. "Hiawatha."
Aztec Two-Step. "Velvet Elvis." (Co-written with Devonsquare.)
Bird. "Hey Elvis."
Mr. Bonus (presumably Peter Holsapple). "Elvis What Happened?" Luxury Condos
Coming to Your Neighborhood Soon. (Anyone know anything about this
album?)
Jimmy Carr. "Birth to a Legend; Goodbye to a Friend." A Tribute to Elvis.
Nick Cave. "Tupelo." The First Born [Firstborn?] Is Dead.
Celtic Elvis. High on Stress! (Celtic covers of Elvis songs, as well as their
own compositions. Anyone have an address for these guys or know how to
track down their albums otherwise?)
The Class of '55. "We Remember the King."
Marc Cohn. "Walking in Memphis." Marc Cohn.
Mark Collie. "She's Never Coming Back." Born and Raised in Black and White.
Elvis Costello. "Brilliant Mistake." King of America.
Crown of Thorns. "Gnawing on the Bones of Elvis." Carnival. (Also on the
Showbusiness compilation.)
Debbie Dabney. "I Want to Spend Christmas with Elvis (Heartbreak Noel)."
Christmas Party with Eddie G.
dB's. "Rendezvous." Like This.
Dead Kennedys. "Viva Las Vegas."
The Dead Milkmen. "Going to Graceland." Bucky Fellini.
Death Ride '69. "Elvis Christ." Elvis Christ.
Del-Lords. "Saint Jake." Johnny Comes Marching Home.
Devonsquare [Devon Square?]. "Velvet Elvis." (Co-written with Aztec Two-
Step.)
Dire Straits. "Calling Elvis." On Every Street.
Dread Zeppelin. 5,000,000*. (Must be seen or heard to be believed. The
group's overweight lead singer, Tortelvis, impersonates Elvis and sings
Led Zeppelin songs to a reggae beat.)
Dread Zepplein. Un-led-Ed.
Jimmy Ellis. "He's Gone But Not Forgotten." A Tribute to Elvis.
Leon Everette. "Goodbye King of Rock 'N' Roll." A Tribute to Elvis.
John Fogerty. "Big Train (From Memphis)." Centerfield.
John Fogerty. "I Saw It on TV." Centerfield.
Forgotten Rebels. "Elvis Is Dead." Surfin on Heroin.
Steve Goodman. "Elvis Imitators." Artistic Hair. (Co-written by Steve
Goodman and Michael Smith.) [Also performed or recorded by Michael Smith
or Jimmy Buffett (Buffett as Freddy and the Fishsticks)?]
Grease. "I'm Sandra Dee."
Merle Haggard. "From Graceland to the Promised Land." It's Been a Great
Afternoon.
Merle Haggard. My Tribute to Elvis. (Does anyone know anything about this
album?)
Johnny Harra. "They Say He Lives." They Say He Lives.
Don Henley. "If Dirt Were Dollars." The End of Innocence.
John Hiatt. "Riding with the King." Riding with the King.
John Hiatt. "Tennessee Plates." Slow Turning.
Jack Hickox. "We're Sure Gonna Miss You Old Friend." A Tribute to Elvis.
Robyn Hitchcock. "Queen Elvis." Eye. (Is there also an album by Hitchcock
called Queen Elvis?)
Elvis Hitler. "Disgraceland." Disgraceland.
Elvis Hitler. Hellbilly.
Chris Houston. "Baby Jesus Looks Just Like Elvis." Hate-Filled Man: The Field
Recordings.
Human Radio. "Me and Elvis." Human Radio.
Interactive. "Who Is Elvis."
Jason and the Scorchers. "Broken Whiskey Glass."
Billy Joel. "Elvis Presley Boulevard."
George Jones. "Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes."
George Jones. "Yabba Dabba Doo the King Is Gone (and So Are You)." [Retitled
or re-released as "The King Is Gone"?]
Steve Key. "Oat Bran Muffins." (Appears on a Capital Acoustic sampler of D.C.
area musicians.)
The Last Temptation of Elvis. (A delightful two-CD collection of Elvis covers.
Thanks to Lazlo Nibble <la...@triton.unm.edu> for posting the list of
artists and songs.)
Bruce Springsteen. "Viva Las Vegas."
Sydney Youngblood. "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear."
Tanita Tikaram. "Loving You."
Robert Plant. "Let's Have A Party."
The Pogues. "Got A Lot O'Livin' To Do."
Holly Johnson. "Love Me Tender."
Paul McCartney. "It's Now Or Never."
Dion DiMucci. "Mean Woman Blues."
The Jesus And Mary Chain. "Guitar Man."
Cath Carroll and Steve Albini. "King Creole."
Aaron Neville. "Young And Beautiful."
Viv Stanshall and The Big Boys. "(There's) No Room To Rhumba In A Sports
Car."
The Primitives. "Baby I Don't Care."
Hall And Oates. "Can't Help Falling In Love."
Reggae Philharmonic Orchestra. "Crawfish."
Ian McCulloch. "Return To Sender."
Fuzzbox. "Trouble."
The Hollow Men. "Thanks To The Rolling Sea."
The Blow Monkeys. "Follow That Dream."
Lemmy & The Upsetters. "Blue Suede Shoes." (w/Mick Green)
Nanci Griffith & Blue Moon Orchestra. "Wooden Heart."
The Jeff Healey Band. "Down In The Alley."
The Cramps. "Jailhouse Rock."
Les Negresses Vertes. "Marguerita."
Pop Will Eat Itself. "Rock-A-Hula-Baby."
Elvis Presley. "King Of The Whole Wide World" (studio takes).
Robin Lee. "Black Velvet."
Living Colour. "Elvis Is Dead." Time's Up.
Roger McDowell. "Statue of a King." A Tribute to Elvis.
Ronnie McDowell. "The King Is Gone." A Tribute to Elvis.
Alannah Myles [Miles?]. "Black Velvet. Alannah Myles.
Ronnie Milsap. (Has he recorded an Elvis tribute?)
Morrissey. (Apparently no musical tributes, but at concerts he's been known to
use a huge black and white photo of Elvis as part of his stage decor.)
Mojo Nixon and Skid Roper. "(619) 239-KING." Root Hog or Die. (Not only a
song title but also the Mojo Nixon hotline, with a recorded message from
Mojo himself.)
Mojo Nixon and Skid Roper. "Elvis Is Everywhere." Bo-Day-Shus!!!.
Mojo Nixon and Skid Roper. "Twilight's Last Gleamin." Frenzy.
"Odie" Palmer. "A Letter to Elvis." A Tribute to Elvis.
Pink Lincolns. "Velvet Elvis."
Pink Slip Daddy. "Elvis Zombie." Pink Slip Daddy.
Pinkard and Bowden. "Elvis Was a Narc." Pinkard and Bowden Live.
Prefab Sprout. "The King of Rock N' Roll." From Langley Park to Memphis.
Public Enemy. "Fight the Power."
Replacements. "Bastards of Young." Tim.
The Residents. The King and I.
Bob Rivers Comedy Corp. "A Message from the King." Twisted Christmas.
Robbie Robbertson. "American Roulette." Robbie Robertson.
The Rockin' Sikh (real name: Peter Singh). "Elvis, I'm on the Phone."
The Rockin' Sikh (real name: Peter Singh). "My Papadom Told Me."
The Scorpions. "The Riot of Your Time." [Virgin Killer.?]
Screaming Blue Messiahs. "Tracking the Dog." (Appears on the Peel session
album.)
Paul Simon. "Graceland." Graceland.
Sons of Ishmael. "Elvis Incorporated." P.M.D.A.S.
Bruce Springsteen. "Johnny, Bye Bye."
Syd Straw. "Listening to Elvis." Luxury Condos Coming to Your Neighborhood
Soon. (Anyone know anything about this album?)
J. D. Sumner. "Elvis Has Left the Building." A Tribute to Elvis.
Barry Tiffin. "Candy Bars for Elvis." A Tribute to Elvis.
Johnny Tollison. "Dark Cloud over Memphis." A Tribute to Elvis.
Conway Twitty. (Has he recorded an Elvis tribute?)
U2. "Elvis Presley and America." Unforgettable Fire.
Uncle Bonsai. "The Voice of God."
Vandals. "Elvis Decanter." Slippery When Ill.
Velvet Elvis. Velvet Elvis.
Elvis Wade. "Memories of the King." A Tribute to Elvis.
Loudon Wainwright. "Happy Birthday, Elvis." (Presently unreleased.)
Wall of Voodoo. "Elvis Bought Dora a Cadillac." Happy Planet.
Was (Not Was). "Earth to Doris." What's Up, Dog?
Was (Not Was). "Elvis' Rolls Royce." Are You OK?
Was (Not Was). "Walk the Dinosaur." What's Up, Dog?
Prof. Drew Weston. "The Day Elvis Came Back as a Dog."
Diana Williams. "Goodbye Bing, Elvis, and Guy." A Tribute to Elvis.
The Wonderstuff. Never Loved Elvis.
X. "Back 2 the Base." Wild Gift.
"Weird Al" Yankovic. "Midnight Star." [Dare to Be Stupid.?]
"Weird Al" Yankovic. "Velvet Elvis." Even Worse.
Neil Young. My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)." Rust Never Sleeps.
Frank Zappa. "Elvis Has Just Left the Building." Broadway the Hard Way.
Warren Zevon. "Jesus Mentioned." The Envoy.
Video and Film:
(Any additional information regarding these would be appreciated.)
Elvii. (A documentary about Elvis impersonators.)
Elvis Stories. (Includes the video of Mojo Nixon and Skid Roper's "Elvis Is
Everywhere.")
Mondo Elvis.
U2. Rattle and Hum. (Contains a brief segment on Elvis.)
Wild At Heart. (A David Lynch film containing Elvis imagery.)
References:
Except for the Banney and Marcus books, neither of which I own, the following
articles and books provided additions to the above list.
American Graphic Systems. I Am Elvis. New York: Pocket Books, 1991.
Banney, Howard F. Return to Sender: The First Complete Discography of Elvis
Tribute and Novelty Records, 1956-1986. Ann Arbor, Mich.: Pierian Press,
1987. (I haven't seen this book, but judging by the title it sounds like
it would put this listing of tributes to shame. Anybody know anything
about it?)
Goldman, Kevin. "'This Line Has Been Disconnected' Isn't Enough to Deter Elvis
Fans." Wall Street Journal, Jan. 16, 1992, p. B1.
Plasketes, George M. "The King Is Gone But Not Forgotten: Songs Responding to
the Life, Death, and Myth of Elvis Presley in the 1980s." Studies in
Popular Culture 12 (1989): 58-74.
Rule, Sheila. "The Men Who Would Be Elvis." New York Times, June 26, 1990, p.
C13. (Elvis impersonators, including Peter Singh, the Rocking Sikh.)
Marcus, Greil. Dead Elvis: A Chronicle of a Cultural Obsession. New York:
Doubleday, 1991.
And for all you guitar totin', "Hound Dog" singin', Elvis look-a-likes:
E. P. Impersonators Association International
c/o Rising Sun Productions
P.O. Box 1126
Seattle, WA 98111-1126
(Real organization and address--no kiddin'!)
Thanks to the following for sending or posting information and comments:
Henry Koretzky HRK@PSULIAS
Kyle Weaver KRW@PSULIAS
de...@pecan.cray.com (Dean Barker)
Gary Martin <mar...@cis.umassd.edu>
MV01...@VM1.NoDak.EDU
James A Demes <de...@chopin.udel.edu>
jw...@po.CWRU.Edu (John W. Kale)
jeffrey templon <tem...@copper.ucs.indiana.edu>
Randy Allen Scott <ran...@csd4.csd.uwm.edu>
Jeff Rosenfeld <jd...@andrew.cmu.edu>
Marlon....@EBay.Sun.COM (marlon.pearson)
rmr...@afterlife.ncsc.mil (Randy M. Rohrer)
walsh%ib...@cs.umass.edu (Norman Walsh)
el...@ora.ora.com (Ellie Cutler)
sta...@cs.rice.edu (Sean Starke)
Joshua...@transarc.com
eff henriquez <EHEN...@ccvm.sunysb.edu>
se...@amtfocus.amt.gss.Mot.COM (Seth Dobbs)
Joel Kraft <STJK@MARIST>
dar...@whistler.sfu.ca (Darryl Wood)
em...@midway.uchicago.edu
ligh...@wpi.WPI.EDU
Phil Hildenbrand <ph...@hpspdla.spd.hp.com>
Mark McKinzie <mcki...@math.wisc.edu>
e...@fairport.HQ.Ileaf.COM (Ed Blachman x4420)
Randy Dees <de...@sid.sps.mot.com>
Amy Elizabeth Ksir <aek...@rice.edu>
"Hirsh, Marc Bennett" <MHI...@RICEVM1.RICE.EDU>
Craig Owens <cra...@nad.3com.com>
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w...@aristotle.ils.nwu.edu (Wayne Schneider)
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mega...@harvard.harvard.edu (Mark E. Sunderlin)
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la...@triton.unm.edu (Lazlo Nibble)
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dad...@cs.ubc.ca (Nou Dadoun)
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JRK@psuvm
Gary Martin
band called Celtic Elvis. The address given on their 1989 tape,
'The Rise and Fall of Practically Everything', is
Heavy Mental Records
PO Box 1932
Martinez, CA 94553
The tape mentioned contains the following songs:
High on Stress Love as Real Estate
Road To Gridlock Style Over Substance
Isabelle Robots For Jesus
Sex-Crazed Intellectuals Song For Ancient Shoguns
Sadie Friends As White Noise
Celtic Elvis consist(s?)(ed?) of Randy Anger, Jim Ocean, Marcy Straw,
and Rich Wescott, playing acoustic guitar, Ovation and Larrivee guitars,
variable speed drill, and bass guitar, respectively.
--
Gary A. Martin, Assistant Professor of Mathematics, UMass Dartmouth
Mar...@cis.umassd.edu
Lunatic Johnathan Bruce E'Sex
]['ve got a couple more for you:
Nina Hagen. "Vive Las Vegas" Nina Hagen (recent self-titled album).
Zodiac Mindwarp (& the Love Reaction?) "Elvis Died for You"
(brand new import single -- I can't remmeber the title of the
forthcoming album)
--
_____________________________________________
/ Lunatic Johnathan Bruce E'Sex /
/ lun...@ucscb.UCSC.EDU CI$: 76170,672 /
/ GEnie: LUNATIC AoL: Lun E Sex /
/____________________________________________/